Hello Movable Type 4.0!

When Movable Type 4.0 entered a public beta a few months back, I couldn't wait to get a chance to play with it. I downloaded, I installed. I poked, I prodded, I submitted bug reports. I've watched it mature along with the rest of the ProNet community. Even though I'm pretty familiar with all the changes and new features, I'm still excited to see the beta sticker get peeled off the product!

I was going to rattle off all of the new stuff in MT4 -- and a lot of it is really worth talking about -- but as I try to write this, I realize there's something much more important to talk about.

You see, for the past few months, we've had a little web development business venture going: uiNNOVATIONS. I've had trouble coming up with a site design we liked and trying to figure out what I wanted and needed to say. Last week I decided I finally needed something more than a placeholder page, and so with MT4 and the text and design I had, the site was launched. I enjoyed putting the site together. A lot. A whole lot. I hate to say that version 4.0 renewed my interest in Movable Type because with the business and plugins and sites I've worked on over the past few months, I don't think I've ever been more excited. And yet, somehow, MT4 makes blogging even more exciting.

Blogging is exciting! Last week as I worked so feverishly with MT4 I remembered that. I think sometimes we (that is, MT developers at large) might lose a little of that focus in favor of the excitement that is the APIs, the user interface, and yes, even the documentation. Sure, we need a capable tool to blog with, but in the end the ultimate goal is communication.

When you sit down to write a new entry think about who you're talking to: there are tens hundreds thousands millions of people who want to know what you have to say. Your review may get them to buy that book on Amazon, your photos might inspire them to take a vacation, your story may remind them of their childhood. Your blog might inspire them to blog.

Better yet, maybe you'll introduce somebody to blogs and blogging for the first time. "There are people who want to read what you write." What an ego boost that is!

Movable Type 4.0 makes it easier than ever to give somebody that ego boost. The big, bold "Write Entry" button openly begs to be clicked, and the resulting empty page silently cries until you fill it up.

Movable Type 4.0 makes me want to blog more.